Peregrine Class
A hybrid KR Series and Ornith Series design built from Stormbird and Centurion Class components, the Peregrine is an ungainly but useful warship and fills a critical gap in the battle line of the Romulan Star Navy. Development The original D6 design dates back to 2210, when elderly Cruiser designs were proving in dire need of replacement. A gradual refinement of a design that dated back to the 2150s, the D6 proved more than adequate against the opponents the Empire faced in the first two decades of the 23rd Century. In 2218 this situation changed. The Federation Hyperion Class USS Triton (NCC-866) made disastrous first contact with the Empire in the early months of that year. Chancellor Durak ordered reprisal raids against what as seen as an unprovoked violation of Klingon sovereignty. The initial raids were a disaster for the Empire, with three D4 K'ragth (Punisher) Class Light Cruisers being lost over the Federation colony at Aeolius VII without a single combat victory. New tactics were required and new warships needed. The D6 had not been part of the initial reprisal raids, being too short legged to be effective against targets in the Federation. The design proved sound in combat simulator trials with Federation starships, although the technological prowess of their designs closed the tactical gap somewhat. In 2234, the D6 was refitted to the new D6A Kl'ar (Leader) Class, equipped with better Disruptors, a more powerful warp core and other refinements to keep pace with Federation (and by this point, Romulan) designs being encountered. By 2242 however, the strategic situation had changed further. A new design, the now famous D7 qItI'tinga' (Great Powerful Conqueror) Class, entered service to replace the D6A, although she soldiered on in quieter sectors and in various support roles. Several D6As took part in the abortive attacks of 2244, 2246 and most infamously the Battle of Bernard in 2248. Although these failures could not be attributed to any design flaw or weakness in the D6A, faith in the design was shaken. In 2250, as part of the Klingo-Romulan Alliance‏‎, 2/3rds of the remaining D6As in service were transferred to the Romulan Star Empire. The Star Empire was at the time, unsure what use to make of these Cruisers. RSN tactics of the time revolved around devastating Alpha Strikes with CFDICs and Fusion-tipped missiles. For the time being, the D6As were placed into storage, with some being examined as part of a fledging Romulan M/AM project. The time of the Romulan D6A came in 2267. After the inconclusive result of the Neutral Zone Incident, the D6As in Romulan ownership were ushered quickly into service, with an unfortunate result. Given a minor refit to carry a Romulan-Type Cloaking Device, three of the first ships reactivated were part of the Enterprise Incident. During this incident, the Federation stole one of these Cloaking Devices. Later that year, political entanglements brought the Star Empire (alongside her Klingon allies) into conflict with the Federation during the 4-Day War. Romulan D6As were deployed to the front, although failed to arrive before the close of hostilities. The RSN fought that particular war with older Cricket and Capsize Class warships. These incidents proved to the Senate that the Star Empire could no longer stay isolated from galactic affairs, and that the Romulan Star Navy badly needed investment to stay competitive. A native Romulan shipbuilding programme, known as the Ornith Series was embarked on, but at the same time it was understood that despite concerns about becoming dependent on Klingon technology, the KR Series warships in RSN could not simply be allowed to rust. The best technology from them should be reverse engineered, and new, Romulan-designed systems put in place of systems deemed inferior. The D6A was at the forefront of this effort, and in 2269 the first of the new Stormbird Class refits debuted. It is believed that the Stormbird entering into service, ostensibly based on an obsolete design, shocked the Klingon Empire to the point that their own refit programmes were accelerated. In this way, whilst the Stormbird is often considered to be a "Romulan K'T'Inga", the reality is that the qItI'tinga' is a "Klingon Stormbird". While the Star Empire and the Klingon Empire were allies during the Organian Conflict, and were united along with the other powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants against the ISC during the War of Pacification, a series of political entanglements and so forth lead to a border war between these two powers in 2290. During this war, both sides used Cloaking Devices extensively, and soon both the KDF and the Romulan Star Navy were searching for a way to attack cloaked vessels efficiently. While the Federation had not developed Burst Torpedo technology far enough for widespread use during the Organian Conflict, the Klingon Empire had captured several research bases, and had kept the technology behind these torpedoes stored in their data-banks. Suddenly, with both sides using cloaked vessels and the Klingon Empire apparently possessing a weapon ready for use against them, the race was on to develop a torpedo and a vessel capable of firing them. The Klingons had an early lead, with the proximity burst torpedoes being very similar in shape and firing method to their own Photon Torpedoes. The Star Empire however, had a problem: They did not use Photon Torpedoes, and developing the technology, factories to produce them, and so forth before the Klingon Empire deployed their own would be nearly impossible. Instead, they analysed the torpedo casings and payload, and with enormous pressure upon them, Romulan scientists perfected what they called the Parallax Torpedo. This torpedo, essentially a Plasma Torpedo inside a conventional Photon Torpedo casing, combined the aspects of the Photon Torpedo that were necessary for the burst effect (delayed release of charge) along with the in-depth knowledge of plasma weapons that the Star Empire possessed. Whilst the KDF developed a specialised cruiser for their torpedo system, the Romulan Star Navy hashed together a Stormbird and Centurion Class hull. The result worked surprisingly well, and require minimal testing before deployment. The reactor rooms of both designs were left largely unmodified, which whilst requiring careful arrangement of the plasma relays, meant that the Peregrine Class, as she came to be called, had plentiful energy reserves, giving her a higher turn of speed (when combined with the impulse systems of both designs) than most Romulan vessels. She was also able to mount powerful sensors, vital in hunting her intended prey. Operational History The Peregrine entered service in record time, and her unorthodox weaponry caught the KDF off-guard. Although new tactics were developed that reduced her effectiveness, the Peregrine can be credited with bringing the border war to a successful white peace for the Star Empire almost single-handedly, and she remained a vital, if highly specialised, asset to the Romulan Star Navy. Although seeing limited service in the General War, during this conflict she did find a new niche in the role of planetary and installation assault. Apocrypha After her involvement in the Praxis Incident of 2293 was revealed, the Romulan Star Empire began to once again withdraw behind her borders, withdrawing from galactic affairs again all together in the aftermath of the Tomed Incident in 2311. Even before this time, Romulan tactics had begun to turn away from fleet engagements and back to single "lone wolf" warships, now of a gargantuan size dwarfing the Crickets and Capsize Classes of old. The Stormbird had already faced replacement in the 2290s with the new Senator Class, and by the early 2300s she (along with most other KR Series designs ) had been withdrawn. The Peregrine lasted slightly longer, but advancements in Cloaking Technology rendered her obsolete in her originally intended role, and with the withdrawal of the Star Empire from galactic affairs, her new role as a siege weapon was surplus to requirements. The last Peregrines were retired in the 2310s. Specifications * Class: 'Torpedo Cruiser * 'Hull Type Designation: '''RCT * '''Length: 244m * Crew: 500 * Warp Nacelles: '''2 * '''Maximum Sublight Speed: 3525 k/s (35.25 Mk/s) * Cruise Warp Factor Speed: wf 7.2 * Safe Maximum Warp Factor Speed: wf 8.8 * Hull Rating: '270 HSF * 'Shield Rating: 300 FSP * Sensor Rating: 1200 SRU * Armament and Equipment: ** Primary *** 2 × Disruptor Cannon ** Secondary *** 3 × Type M Plasma Torpedo Tube *** 2 × Parallax Torpedo Tube ** Heavy *** None ** Advanced *** None ** Equipment *** Tractor Beam Emitter *** Romulan-Type Cloaking Device *** Tal Shiar Transporter Pad *** Probes Ships in Service (2292) RSE Peregrine RSE Albacvnivs RSE Alfivlvs RSE Annivs RSE Annolvnia RSE Antotivs RSE Asivladvs RSE Avnvs RSE Begonivs RSE Cacvdivs RSE Caesivs RSE Callivs RSE Cascivs RSE Ceivs RSE Clavstivs RSE Cosasivs RSE Delvleivs RSE Derbvdvs RSE Peregrinvsr RSE Daedara RSE DaeIak RSE Dekalaem RSE Daetaret RSE Daevidices Category:Romulan Vessels Category:Cruisers Category:Torpedo Cruisers